Two lawmakers are pushing for an additional two-year extension for the passport validity of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and seafarers
Marino party-list Representatives Sandro Gonzales said Macnell Lusotan that some OFWs might lose their jobs due to the delays over passport processing.
“Unfortunate as it may sound, there is an urgent need on the part of the government to support the deployment of OFWs through the extension of the validity of their passports to give them opportunity to be gainfully employed abroad while employment opportunities in the country remain scarce,” the lawmakers said.
They said OFWs who are set to be deployed should have an additional two-year extension.
Some seafarers are required to have a passport with 18 months validity before their deployment.
The Department of Foreign Affairs admitted that they are currently facing millions of passport backlogs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions.
